Brazenmom

I write the following tale so that my darling daughter can read it in years to come and know what a brilliant baby she is.

After spending a fun Halloween evening carving pumpkins, bitching about Wagner, eating copious amounts and laughing hysterically we (daddy, mommy and baby) managed to catch the midnight tube home. As we settled into our seats for an hour-long train ride, the journey progressed uneventfully until, two stops before our destination, the train stopped dead. The train stopped dead for an hour, which, as a passenger travelling alone, is irritating but manageable. We were not alone. Our adorable but very tired baby was gracing us with her gorgeous presence. Think: overtired baby, hot tube, nowhere to go: the recipe for disaster in any parent’s book. Read the rest of this entry »

The other day I was reading about the developmental milestones typical of a ten-month-old baby, and one of the things that babies of this age feel is a heightened sense of fear, which is the consequence of increased awareness. The world is becoming an intriguing place that is full of hazardous excitement – such as sirens, vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, blenders and hooters. Loud, brash noises are likely to scare a baby, who will interpret harsh sounds as threatening. The article I was reading advised parents not to minimise a baby’s fear – even if the fear seems irrational, it is very real to a baby.

My ten-month-old baby girl is a born and bred Londoner – sirens and hooters elicit a comforting sense of home and engines are soothing. She adores our vacuum cleaner and her little arms flap up and down in joyous anticipation when I open up the storage cupboard to remove our dirt-sucker. She trails after me as I clean the carpet, inspecting the vacuum cleaner, leaning on it and using it as a sort of jungle-gym. Vacuum is Amelia’s friend. Hair dryers and blenders… please – my daughter eats them for breakfast. Read the rest of this entry »

A friend recently asked if we had a nickname for our daughter, Angelique. My response was that we had several including (but not limited to) Angel, Poppet, Shnookie and Munchkin. I figured that as time went by we’d settle on one that suited her best. My husband favours Schnookie; my mother, Angel. And while I’ve been partial to Munchkin, over the last few days I’ve been leaning more towards Princess Poopypants.

I was prepared for the projectile spitting-up and I don’t go anywhere without a burp cloth. However, what I got instead was projectile poop. There I was, cleaning the princess’ bum one morning, still half-asleep myself, when suddenly prrt. I used my newly-discovered Jedi reflexes to lift her nappy and somehow managed to prevent poop from squirting all over my shirt, the changing table and the floor. Yay me! Read the rest of this entry »

I found it (mental high five)! “What?” you may ask. My brain dear diary, my beloved brain. It took me ten months but I finally found it hiding amidst masses and masses and masses of baby paraphernalia. This baby paraphernalia seems to have monopolised all thinking patterns. But brain is back with a vengeance.

Following the birth of my lovely Amelia, my dear brain went on hiatus and consequentially I have been unable to think for many months. I have a sneaking suspicion that my precious brain thought that I was replacing its intellect with mushy momyness. But over time brain has come to realise that mommy and intelligence and can coexist. Yes! Well done brain. I am so glad to have you back. It’s time to take over the world.

You get grunge and then you get grunge. And then you get Camden grunge. I am the mom of a totally adorable (if I may say so myself) 9-month-old baby girl. Everyone loves her… including the hobos, the dustbin-diggers, the unbathed, the toothless, the druggies, the drunkards and the mentally challenged – all of whom inhabit the wonderful town of Camden, where I live. Before I proceed, I need to say that: I love North London, I love Camden and I am of the firm belief that babies are for sharing (not in a gross paedophile way but in an ‘aah sweet, look at the lovely baby’ kind of way). The privilege of being a parent does not form everyone’s lot in life and I am well aware that motherhood is, indeed, a privilege. The aforementioned life-philosophies that share space in my brain with the ‘I will never live in South London’ philosophy, have placed me in a predicament. Babies bring delight to so many and what kind of person denies the odd head-stroke or hand-touch? Except when the Camden grunge are concerned. Camden grunge has nothing to do with torn stockings, Dr Martins and over-sized dresses, but rather, old food, dirt and oil. Let me explain. Read the rest of this entry »

The Advertising Standards Authority has pulled a recent print ad for Hipp Organic baby milk, which read “We’ve learnt from the breast”. The breast may have spoken to Hipp but the ASA were not convinced, saying that the ad was misleading because it implied the product was equivalent to breast milk.

Hipp Organic argued that the “We’ve learnt from the breast” copy was a reflection of the company’s high regard for breast milk as the best food for babies. Research conducted by baby milk companies and academic institutions has influenced Hipp’s Organic milk composition, which contains some of the beneficial components of breast milk to their formulas.

The ASA told Hipp not to use claims in future that referred to children’s development and health that do not comply with regulation. End of story.

Source: www.brandrepublic.com

Recent data from the Office for National Statistics states that teenage pregnancy rates in England and Wales have fallen by 13% year on year. The figures show a rate of 40.4 per 1,000 girls: 42, 325 girls under 18 and 7,577 girls under 16 fell pregnant in 2008. Just under half of pregnancies among 15-to-18 year-olds led to an abortion.

In England, the north east has the highest pregnancy rate of 49 per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 17, while the east of England had the lowest rate, at 31.4 per 1,000 girls. Merthyr Tydfil, in Wales and England, has the highest teenage pregnancy rate for 15-17-year-olds, and the lowest rate in Wales was found in Ceredigion with 27.1 per 1,000 girls. Read the rest of this entry »

…and Medela pump gets thumbs up

I wrote a post a couple of months ago I wrote an article entitled Tommee Tippee to the rescue. Well, I spoke too soon. My pump broke shortly thereafter. I can’t be sure what the exact problem was but I think that it had something to do with water being sucked through the pipe into the swing and eventually destroying the electronics. I have since purchased the Medela breast pump, which was a budget stretch but definitely worth it. Read the rest of this entry »

My baby started with a patch of eczema on her chest, which then developed into several other patches – most of them concentrated around her joints (elbows, back of knees). I am not sure what causes the eczema but I am fairly certain that it is aggravated by certain foods. I have changed my washing powder to the more gentle kind that is suitable for sensitive skin and I monitor what my baby girl eats quite carefully in an attempt to remove anything from her diet that seems to provoke her eczema. There is a lot of hit and miss that goes on and just when I think I have found a trigger, I am proved wrong. The eczema flares up and calms down at intervals and although the dry patches don’t seem to bother my baby girl (she doesn’t scratch at them), they do require treatment. Read the rest of this entry »

The Department of Health recommends that babies should be given only milk for the first 6 months. Breast milk is approximately 88% water. Both breast milk and infant formula contain enough nutrients to satiate your baby and enough water to quench his thirst – even in hot and dry climates.

Giving a young baby too much water can interfere with his body’s ability to absorb the nutrients in breast milk or formula. Water can also cause the tummy to feel full and thus hamper a baby’s desire to feed. For children under 1 year of age – and especially during the first nine months of life – drinking too much water can even be dangerous. According to paediatrician James P. Keating, MD, medical director of the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Diagnostic Centre, “too much water dilutes a baby’s normal sodium levels and can lead to seizures, coma, brain damage and death.” This condition is more commonly known as water intoxication, which occurs when too much water dilutes the concentration of sodium in the body, upsetting the electrolyte balance and causing tissues to swell.

There, assuredly, are mums out there who have given their very young babies water and nothing has happened. I have been giving my nine-month old baby girl sips of water for a few months and she really does enjoy it. I am, however, aware of the effects of water-overload. Breast milk or formula provides all the fluid that healthy babies need. If a mother feels her baby needs to take additional water, it should be limited to two to three ounces at a time (or as prescribed by a paediatrician) and should be offered only after the baby has satisfied his hunger with breastfeeding or formula. After a baby turns 1, there is no such thing as too much water.

Sources: www.babycenter.com and www.wholesomebabyfood.com